The World of Winnie the Pooh

The World of Winnie the Pooh. A.A. Milne. Illustrated by Ernest Shepard. 1926. 353 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin.

The World of Winnie the Pooh is an omnibus edition of two of A.A. Milne's children's books: Winnie the Pooh and The House of Pooh Corner. I grew up reading a lovely discarded library edition of The World of Pooh, a lovely green edition. There is something delightful and familiar and enchanting about reading Pooh. I love the world-building. I love the sense of community--both the characterization and the relationships. I love the dialogue and narrative. I love the singing. There's just something joyful about it all. Even gloomy-old-Eeyore brings a smile to my face!

The Disney movie is rightly named the MANY adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Adventures is just the right word to describe all the chapters from both books.

Winnie the Pooh:

• In Which We Are Introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees, and the Stories Begin
• In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and Gets Into A Tight Place
• In Which Pooh and Piglet Go Hunting and Nearly Catch a Woozle
• In Which Eeyore Loses a Tail and Pooh Finds One
• In Which Piglet Meets a Heffalump
• In Which Eeyore Has a Birthday and Gets Two Presents
• In Which Kanga and Baby Roo Come to the Forest, And Piglet Has a Bath
• In Which Christopher Robin Leads an Expotition to the North Pole
• In Which Piglet Is Entirely Surrounded by Water
• In Which Christopher Robin Gives Pooh a Party and We Say Goodbye

The House at Pooh Corner

• In Which A House Is Built At Pooh Corner for Eeyore
• In Which Tigger Comes to the Forest and Has Breakfast
• In Which a Search is Organdized, and Piglet Nearly Meets the Heffalump Again
• In Which It Is Shown That Tiggers Don't Climb Trees
• In Which Rabbit Has a Busy Day, And We Learn What Christopher Robin Does in the Mornings
• In Which Pooh Invents a New Game and Eeyore Joins In
• In Which Tigger is Unbounced
• In Which Piglet Does a Very Grand Thing
• In Which Eeyore Finds the Wolery and Owl Moves Into It
• In Which Christopher Robin and Pooh Come to An Enchanted Place and We Leave Them There

At first, I thought this review would be packed with quotes. Because Pooh is without a doubt one of the most quotable books...ever. But I've decided instead of trying to quote every single sentence from the book that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE AND ADORE, I'd try to be more selective.

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?" "What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughfully. "It's the same thing," he said. (147-48)

"I think," said Christopher Robin, "that we ought to eat all our Provisions now, so that we shan't have so much to carry." "Eat all our what?" said Pooh. "All that we've brought," said Piglet, getting to work. "That's a good idea," said Pooh, and he got to work too. "Have you all got something?" asked Christopher Robin with his mouth full. "All except me," said Eeyore. "As usual." He looked round at them in his melancholy way. "I suppose none of you are sitting on a thistle by any chance?" "I believe I am," said Pooh. "Ow!" He got up, and looked behind him. "Yes, I was. I thought so." "Thank you, Pooh. If you've quite finished with it." He moved across to Pooh's place, and began to eat. "It don't do them any Good, you know, sitting on them," he went on, as he looked up munching. "Takes all the Life out of them. Remember that another time, all of you. A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference." (113)

"I think the bees suspect something!" "What sort of thing?" "I don't know. But something tells me that they're suspicious!" "Perhaps they think that you're after their honey." "It may be that. You never can tell with bees." (19)

 © 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews